The Netherlands experiences large waiting lists for (complex) mental health care (ggz). It is no longer self-evident that people can receive timely and appropriate care or guidance if they suffer from psychological problems. This is a (very) big social problem. Clearly “something” has to change.
Regional cooperation in South Limburg
Since 2020, the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport has established Regional Task Forces (RTFs). Different parties from the region are working together on this matter. This is also the case in southern Limburg. The common goal is to reduce waiting lists through better regional cooperation.
All parties involved!
The problem of waiting time in mental health care is a systemic problem that can only be solved if all components participate in the required transformation. The focus is now often placed only on problem mental health care. But the problem is not limited to mental health care, it concerns all of us: the GP, the social sphere, the mental health care system, and society. In South Limburg we show that it is possible. We work together in a network of at least sixteen parties*: health insurers, providers, municipalities and general practitioner associations, to make healthcare accessible again!
Mental health intake model
The 16 parties have jointly developed an intake model that will lead to appropriate care in the right setting for people with mental problems. It was decided to start when a citizen reports mental complaints to the general practitioner. How can GP, mental health care and the social sphere work better together to provide the most appropriate care more quickly? Treatment should not always be an option. Or maybe it’s not yet addressed in mental health care, but you need to work on other things first.
The biggest interventions in the intake model are enhancing the knowledge of general practitioners and POH-GGZ in the field of mental complaints, multidisciplinary consultation between general practitioners, the social field and mental health care, and exploratory conversation with citizens in which on a positive health basis, we look at what It is required. This allows the customer to move more quickly to the right place.
Our common ambition
In South Limburg we do it simply: we provide excellent network care for citizens with mental complaints. The need for help and self-management is essential. We look critically at both under- and over-treatment and therefore look for solutions where guidance and self-help are sufficient. When treatment is necessary, our mental health professionals are ready. We believe that setbacks are a part of life and we normalize them wherever possible. We believe that rapid interventions on self-reliance contribute to reducing waiting times.
